Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
May 9, 2007
Contact: Haig Hovsepian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
ANC of Washington Meets with Office of Washington Congressman Jay Inslee
(D-WA-01)
Shoreline, WA – The Chair of the Armenian National Committee of
Washington (ANC WA), Armen Abrahamian, and other local constituents met
with Congressman Jay Inslee’s representative Patrick Hogan for a
district office meeting on April 12, 2007 at the Congressman’s local
office in Shoreline, Washington. This meeting with Hogan was held to
discuss H. Res. 106 and to urge to Congressman to sign on as a
co-sponsor.
"The Evergreen State has long been the home of a vibrant Armenian
American community," commented Armenian National Committee of America –
Western Region (ANCA-WR) Executive Director Andrew Kzirian. "Reaching
out and meeting with Congressional offices represents the very
cornerstone of grassroots advocacy – we are proud to see constituents
communicating, to their elected officials, their concerns regarding
specific legislation. We greatly look forward to working with
Congressman Inslee in the future," he added.
Upon arrival at Congressman Inslee’s office, the Abrahamian and local
constituents provided a background on the Armenian American community in
Washington and indicated that the largest number of Armenian Americans
in the state reside in Congressman Inslee’s district. The group then
discussed H. Res. 106 is and its importance to the Armenian American
Community. Abrahamian explained that since Turkey is not on the path of
coming to terms with its past on its own, outside influence, like this
resolution, are necessary to have history properly recognized. The
meeting noted that with this struggle for recognition has come fierce
opposition from Turkey, including threats to countries that have
recognized the genocide. Abrahamian explained that these threats have
proven to be hollow as countries like France have recognized the
Genocide regardless of Turkey’s threats and no significant repercussions
have materialized.
The meeting also covered issues such as the assassination of Turkish
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and the recent postponement of an exhibit
about the Rwandan genocide that would be displayed in the United Nations
building in New York because of the mention of the Armenian Genocide.
The exhibit included a quotation from Rafael Lemkin, the author of the
United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide
who coined the term "genocide" to describe the genocide of the
Armenians. One sentence in the quotation referenced the killings of the
Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government and how this contributed to
the coining of the term "genocide." Turkey objected to the quote based
on this sentence which led to the postponement of the exhibit
altogether.
"The meeting went very well; Mr. Hogan was very receptive and seemed
eager for both Congressman Inslee and him to be invited to any events
with the community in the future," said Abrahamian. "The resolution is
a time sensitive issue but hopefully this meeting will convey, to the
Congressman, the importance of this resolution to the Armenian American
community."
The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working
in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters
throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the
world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American
community on a broad range of issues.
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Photo caption: Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA-01)